Ohio Music Education Association

Musical Legends

Dr. Donald E. McGinnis (1917 - 2016)

A Life Timeline

The Early Years

1917 Donald E. McGinnis born in Barberton, Ohio, on October 21, 1917.

1929The Ohio State University Concert Band founded by Eugene J. Weigel.

1930’s

1935 Donald E. McGinnis graduated from Wadsworth High School.1936–1941Student at Oberlin Conservatory, supporting himself through school. Played in the campus big band, the Campus Cavaliers, playing lead alto saxophone, doubling on clarinet, flute, tenor saxophone as needed.

1938George Enesco guest conducts the Oberlin Orchestra with McGinnis playing second clarinet.

1939Nadia Boulanger guest conducts the Oberlin Orchestra with McGinnis playing on the Fauré Requiem.

1939 McGinnis hears a piano recital by Serge Rachmaninoff at Oberlin.

1940’s

1940Elected to Pi Kappa Lambda, honorary national fraternity. Selected by the faculty as Outstanding Instrumental Practice Teacher of 1939–1940, therefore chosen to conduct the Oberlin High School Band during his fifth year at the Conservatory.

1940–41Oberlin High School concert and marching band director, private clarinet teacher.

1941Received the Mus.B. degree in performance and B.Mus.Ed. degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music. William D. Revelli founded the College Band Directors National Association. Hired by Eugene Weigel to teach all of the woodwinds, assist with both the Concert and Marching Bands, and conduct the regimental bands at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. Salary was $1,920. As such assumed the solo clarinet chair in the Concert Band under the direction of Manley Whitcomb. Performed two faculty clarinet recitals.

1941–42Won audition to play principal clarinet with the Columbus Philharmonic.

1942 In May, enlisted in the US Navy and was principal clarinet and featured soloist in a superior musical unit, United States navy Pre-Flight School Band, stationed at the USN Preflight School in Iowa City and assistant conductor of the chamber orchestra. Met flutist, Ralph Johnson and trum peter, Adolph “Bud” Herseth. Began graduate studies at the University of Iowa, with Himie Voxman and Greeley Clapp.

1944Assigned to the United States Naval Communications School at Harvard University. Received a commission as Ensign and was appointed communi cations officer on the USS Lucidor (AF-45) with duty in the South Pacific.

1945Honorably discharged as Lt. JG in December. Returned to University of Iowa to complete graduate studies.

1946Graduated with a Masters of Arts in Education. Clarinet recital consisted of music by Brahms, Schumann and Milhaud. Married Ruth Louise Ostrander, November 28, 1946. Resumed responsibilities at Ohio State, full time flute professor and associate conductor of The Ohio State University Concert Band.

1946–49 Part-time clarinet with the Columbus Philharmonic.

1948 Performs as clarinetist on the Mozart Quintet in A minor, K. 581 with the Walden String Quartet on the Prestige Chamber Music Concert Series in Columbus, Ohio.

1950’s

1950–52Assigned to be Head of the Instrumental Division

1951–52Unpaid leave of absence to pursue Ph.D. at University of Iowa. Final Thesis: Symphony for Band (in five movements), by Donald E. McGinnis

1952Whitcomb on leave from OSU; McGinnis named Interim Director of the Concert Band and Jack O. Evans Interim Director of the Marching Band.

1953Promoted to Associate Professor at The Ohio State University.

1952–62Resumed position as principal flute of the newly formed Columbus Little Symphony, which became the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

1953 Became Director of the Concert Band; Evans became Director of the Marching Band. School of Music Director Eugene Weigel eliminates the position Director of Bands.

1953Graduated with a Ph.D. in Music Composition from the University of Iowa.

1953–54 Principal flutist with the Wheeling Symphony

1954World Premiere of the Symphony for Band by Donald E. McGinnis with The Ohio State University Concert Band. Accolades from Percy Grainger. Welcome daughter, Rebecca, into their lives.

1956Elected to the American Band Masters Association.

1957Performed the Symphony for Band by Hindemith (written in 1951). Welcome daughter, Martha, into their lives.

1960’s

1960Performance of “America the Beautiful,” arranged by Richard Heine for the thirtieth anniversary of the National Seminar on Radio and Television, May 6.

1960Colonel William Santelmann (U.S. Marine Band) guest conducts the Concert Band with Dr. Donald E. McGinnis as clarinet soloist performing his own transcription of Solo de Concours by Messager.

1961Concert Band invited to perform at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio for the North Central division of the Music Educators National Conference, April 9. Performs in Cleveland for the American School Band Directors Association. The recording, Clarinet Contest Mu sic with Donald E. McGinnis, clarinet released by the Selmer Company.

1962Co-founder (flute) of The Ohio State University Faculty Woodwind Quintet. Concert Band performs eight transcriptions and one original piece of Lucien Cailliet with Caillet on the podium.

1964–1979Concert Band recorded the music from the Ohio required and selected contest lists. Began recording the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) required concert band list with the Concert Band. Errata sheets prepared and distributed.

1964Concert Band performs as the main feature for the MENC convention in Philadelphia, March 13. Performed Ingolf Dahl’s Sinfonietta (1961)

1964–82Served as assistant Conductor of the Columbus Symphony

1966Concert Band performs for the National Association of Secondary School Principals, Cleveland, Ohio.

1967Concert Band performs and records the music of Vincent Persichetti on campus. Prelude: “So Pure the Star,” Symphony No. 6 for Band conducted by Persichetti). Concert Band performs for the College Band Directors National Association Silver Anniversary on February 10, at the invitation of William D. Revelli, with guest composer Vaclav Nelhybel. Symphony for Band by Ian Polster and Overture to the School for Scandal by Samuel Barber arranged by Frank Hudson were premiered at a special demonstration concert.

1967Performed Variations on a Korean Folk Song by John Barnes Chance (1966)

1968Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center Concert Band perfor mance. Included was Gunther Schuller’s Dyptich for Brass Quintet featuring the Ohio State University Faculty Brass Quintet.

1969Appointed Chairman of the Performance Division of the School of Music

1970’s

1970Performed Karl Husa’s Music for Prague 1968 (1968)

1970Concert Band performs for the 36th annual convention of The American Bandmasters Association in Columbus, Ohio.

1976 MENC Atlantic City Concert Band performance “In the Grand Tradition of John Philip Sousa” was guided and narrated by Paul Bierley, noted historian and Sousa biographer.

1976 Vice President, then President of The American Bandmasters Association.

1977–78Symphony for Band by Donald E. McGinnis used as the required piece for the Ohio Music Education Association Contest, Class A selection (Available from Hal Leonard); Resolution from the Ohio House of Representatives for outstanding contributions in teaching, performance, and leadership. 25th Anniversary as Concert Band director.

March 2, 1977Honorary Life Memberships in TBDBITL (The Best Damn Band in the Land) and the Ohio State University Alumni Band (September 10, 1977).

1978Composer Roger Nixon conducted many of his works with the Concert Band in Mershon Auditorium on campus.

1979Retirement, as Professor Emeritus, from The Ohio State University
1979–80Interim conductor of the Capital University Wind Ensemble and Columbus Youth Wind Ensemble.

1979–87Appointed conductor of the Southwestern Symphony Orchestra in New Concord, Ohio.

1980’s

1988 Received the Medal of Honor from the Midwest Clinic in Chicago

1989 Interim band director at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

1990’s

1995The Donald E. McGinnis Concert Band Scholarship established by the Board of Trustees of The Ohio State University; the scholarship is funded by family, friends, and former students. Later, renamed The Donald E. and Ruth L. McGinnis Concert Band Scholarship.

1999 Elected Honorary Life Member of The American Bandmasters Association.

21st Century

2007Elected Honorary Life President of the American Bandmasters Association.

2006Elected to the Wadsworth High School Hall of Fame.

2000Presented flute clinic at the National Flute Association Convention in Columbus, Ohio.

McGinnis, Donald E. “Rehearsal Warmups and Intonation.” The college and university band: An anthology of papers from the conferences of the College Band Directors National Association, 1941-1975, edited by David Whitwell. Reston, Va: Music Educators National Conference, c1977 OCLC# 3630408; LCCN 77-84482